Miriam Madden carries wreaths to placed on headstones at Fort Sam Houston during the Wreaths Across America event on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012. The grave of her husband of 26 years, retired Army Maj. Gary Madden, who died in 2011, received one of the wreaths. They have a son serving in Afghanistan.

Miriam Madden carries wreaths to placed on headstones at Fort Sam Houston during the Wreaths Across America event on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012. The grave of her husband of 26 years, retired Army Maj. Gary Madden,

Volunteers collect wreaths to be placed on headstones of about 10,000 of the over 100,000 headstones at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery during the Wreaths Across America event on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012.

Volunteers collect wreaths to be placed on headstones of about 10,000 of the over 100,000 headstones at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery during the Wreaths Across America event on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012.

Photo: Billy Calzada, Express-News

Image 6 of 6

Motorcyclists pay respects during the playing of "Taps" at the Wreaths Across America event at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012.

Motorcyclists pay respects during the playing of "Taps" at the Wreaths Across America event at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012.

Photo: Billy Calzada, Express-News

Wreaths and remembrance for military families

1 / 6

Back to Gallery

Mary Todd, whose son was killed in Afghanistan, was among the scores of volunteers Saturday who placed Christmas wreaths at headstones at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

Todd, who lives in nearby St. Hedwig, often visits her son's grave in Louisiana, where Sgt. 1st Class David Todd Jr. was buried after his unit was attacked in 2008. Despite the difficult memories and emotions stirred by Saturday's event, Todd said she attended her first Wreaths Across America distribution out of love for her son.

“People have been telling us that they love us, that they'll never forget,” she said. “It makes you feel like someone cares.”

Todd and other family members of fallen troops were among the many volunteers who gently placed nearly 10,000 wreaths at the cemetery, a record number. The number of wreaths placed there in mid-December has steadily risen from just less than 300 in 2008 to 9,910 on Saturday, including more than 2,000 purchased at $15 each for specific graves. They will stay there through late January.

During a stirring patriotic ceremony attended by about 3,000 people, former City Councilman John Clamp, guest speaker, said the program collected or raised enough money to adorn nearly one-tenth of the cemetery's 100,000-plus headstones with fresh evergreen wreaths. Organizers said the number of fundraising groups in the local program has more than tripled in recent years, from seven to 22.

Most Popular

“We no longer take for granted the safety of our nation,” Clamp said. “We will get to 100 percent for Wreaths Across America, very shortly.”

The national Wreaths Across America campaign began 20 years ago, when the Worcester Wreath Co. in Maine offered to place 5,000 unsold wreaths by headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. Now, more than 800 cemeteries, military monuments and other sites participate in the program.

Judy Carlile, whose husband, Jim Carlile, died in 2008 and is buried at the cemetery, has run the program since 2009. She said the annual campaign is about honoring all veterans and family members.

“This is all about every single one that's been laid to rest,” she said.

Wesley “Shorty” Salmans, a retired Army master sergeant, strained to speak through emotions during the ceremony about a friend, Martin S. Frank, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for nearly six years. Frank died in 2008.

“As long as I'm here, on this side, Marty's (grave) will have a wreath placed,” he said.